Anyone interested in joining any of the bridge games can contact Jim Thompson at 218-543-4688. Anyone interested in joining the bridge game at the Crosslake Community Center, call the Center

at 218-692-4271.

■ Wadena Whirlaways Square Dance Club

WADENA — The Wadena Whirlaways Square Dance Club will be hosting a dance on Thursday with plus beginning at 7:30 p.m. and mainstream dancing at 8 p.m. Roger McNeil is the caller and the theme is “Favorite Decade.” All dancers and spectators are welcome.

■ Crow Wing County Fair Board

Crow Wing County Fair Board will meet at 7 p.m. March 3 at the Brainerd Curling Club.

■ Brainerd Lakes Area Audubon Society

Bill Faber, Natural Resources Program Instructor at Central Lakes College, will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Northland Arboretum in Brainerd. Faber will tell us about the changing large mammal landscape in Sweden, and will speak about brown bears, wolves, moose, roe deer, wild boar, red and fallow deer.

He spent nearly 13 years in Sweden in the late 80s to 2000, and returned there this past fall while on sabbatical from the college. He found that things have changed quite dramatically and in interesting ways.

This program is sponsored by the Brainerd Lakes Area Audubon Society and the Northland Arboretum. The program is free and open to anyone with an interest in nature. Refreshments will be provided. For more information contact Pam Perry at pkperry@brainerd.net or the Northland Arboretum at arboretum@brainerd.net.

■ GSS offers Certified Nursing Assistant classes

PINE RIVER — Good Samaritan Society-Pine River is offering a class for people interested in earning their Certified Nursing Assistant designation. Anyone interested is invited to attend an informational meeting from 3-4 p.m. Monday at the Good Samaritan Society-Pine River Care Center.

Classes will be held at the Pine River Care Center March 26-April 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants must be able to attend all classes. For more information, call Dawn at 218-587-8412.

■ Cuyuna Range

Women’s Club

CROSBY — The Cuyuna Range Women’s Club will meet at the Jesse F. Hallett Library in Crosby at 1 p.m. March 3.

Doug Peterson and Jody Stewart, local musicians, will provide musical selections for 15 minutes, prior to Judd Brink’s presentation, Birdscaping for Spring. Brainerd’s Community Education classes have included Judd Brink as instructor for his classes, entitled Birdscaping Your Home. He builds bluebird houses.

Learn how to increase the number and variety of colorful songbirds to your yard, using bird feeding stations and native plantings for birds. Brink will teach how to prepare for spring feeding. Following the programs, there will be a brief business meeting chaired by president Myrna Nelson. Refreshments will be served by Vernice Grgurich, Molly Milberry and Gloria Stewart.

■ GSS offers Balance Workshop Series

Good Samaritan Society-Communities of Brainerd and Pine River is offering A Matter of Balance: Reducing Risk of Falls starting 1 p.m. March 6 at the Brainerd-Woodland Campus.

A Matter of Balance: Reducing Risk of Falls is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance. Call Joy Nordby at 855-6639 to register or for more information.

Good Samaritan Society-Communities of Brainerd and Pine River is offering a volunteer abiders training and refresher session. Abiders are specially trained volunteers, who are available to be present with residents in their last days when family and friends are not available.

Training will be 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Good Samaritan Society-Woodland Campus. Pizza and refreshments will be served. Anyone interested in learning more about this volunteer opportunity is welcome to attend.

■ Baxter Lions Club

BAXTER — The Baxter Lions Club will meet Monday at Camp Vanasek. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the regular meeting will be called to order at 7 p.m.

■ Encore Arts Association

Encore Arts Association will meet 1-3 p.m. Monday at The Center. Gail Walsh will present methods of creating collages with rice paper. Members may bring watercolors or acrylics, and an underpainting as base for a collage, if desired. Rice paper will be provided.

■ Brainerd Area Memorial Day Committee to meet

The Brainerd Area Memorial Day Committee will meet 7 p.m. Wednesday at the VFW. All persons interested in taking part in this years program are urged to attend. For further information, contact Jan Lambert at 825-0165.

■ Alpha Chapter No. 23 OES

Alpha Chapter No. 23 OES will meet 5:45 p.m. Monday at the Northwind Grille. Meeting will be at 7 p.m. at 205 1/2 South Sixth St., Brainerd. For rides, Gayle at 829-8656, or Margaret, 829-9767.

I've worked at the Brainerd Dispatch with various duties since Dec. 7, 1983. Starting off as an Ad Designer and currently Director of Audience Development. The Dispatch has been an interesting and challenging place to work. I'm fortunate to have made many friends, both co-workers and customers.